Volcano bowl
Encyclopedia
Volcano bowls are ceramic drinkware originally associated with mid-century American tiki bar
s and tropical-themed restaurants. Drinks served in volcano bowls are typically rum
-based, mixed with tropical fruit juices and other liquors such as brandy
, vodka
, and triple sec
, and garnished with fruit. The Flaming Volcano
cocktail is especially associated with this drinkware.
Volcano bowls typically have a large capacity of 32 oz. or more, and are used to serve a communal beverage to a group of two or more friends who share the drink, often sipping simultaneously from the bowl through long, colorful straws
. Volcano bowls are designed with a rising central hub feature formed and painted to resemble a crude volcano
cone, giving the vessel a topological similarity to a Bundt pan. The central cone, in turn, is topped by a pit or "crater" which is intended to be filled with overproof rum or other flammable high-alcohol liquor. This "crater" liquor is ignited just before service, creating a festive, mildly volcanic ambience with its central blue flame. Meanwhile, the drink surrounds the "volcano cone" in a ring-shaped moat, like a pool of lava
or an ocean surrounding a volcanic island.
The exterior surfaces of volcano bowls are usually decorated with painted or glazed-on tropical-themed images, such as hula
dancers, palm trees, and island landscapes.
Tiki bar
A tiki bar is an exotic–themed drinking establishment that serves elaborate cocktails, especially rum-based mixed drinks such as the "mai tai" or "Zombie cocktail". Tiki bars are aesthetically defined by their Tiki culture décor which is based upon a romanticized conception of primitive tropical...
s and tropical-themed restaurants. Drinks served in volcano bowls are typically rum
Rum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
-based, mixed with tropical fruit juices and other liquors such as brandy
Brandy
Brandy is a spirit produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35%–60% alcohol by volume and is typically taken as an after-dinner drink...
, vodka
Vodka
Vodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....
, and triple sec
Triple sec
Triple sec, originally Curaçao triple sec, is a variety of Curaçao liqueur, an orange-flavoured liqueur made from the dried peels of bitter and sweet orange....
, and garnished with fruit. The Flaming Volcano
Flaming Volcano (cocktail)
The flaming volcano is a large tropical group cocktail made of rum, brandy, pineapple juice, orange juice, almond syrup, and sometimes other ingredients...
cocktail is especially associated with this drinkware.
Volcano bowls typically have a large capacity of 32 oz. or more, and are used to serve a communal beverage to a group of two or more friends who share the drink, often sipping simultaneously from the bowl through long, colorful straws
Drinking straw
A drinking straw is a short tube intended for transferring a beverage from its container to the mouth of the drinker by use of suction. A thin tube of plastic or other material, straight or with an accordion-like living hinge, it is employed by being held with one end in the mouth and another end...
. Volcano bowls are designed with a rising central hub feature formed and painted to resemble a crude volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
cone, giving the vessel a topological similarity to a Bundt pan. The central cone, in turn, is topped by a pit or "crater" which is intended to be filled with overproof rum or other flammable high-alcohol liquor. This "crater" liquor is ignited just before service, creating a festive, mildly volcanic ambience with its central blue flame. Meanwhile, the drink surrounds the "volcano cone" in a ring-shaped moat, like a pool of lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
or an ocean surrounding a volcanic island.
The exterior surfaces of volcano bowls are usually decorated with painted or glazed-on tropical-themed images, such as hula
Hula
Hula is a dance form accompanied by chant or song . It was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Polynesians who originally settled there. The hula dramatizes or portrays the words of the oli or mele in a visual dance form....
dancers, palm trees, and island landscapes.
